Crystal Palace 0-0 AEK Larnaca Player Ratings: Goalkeepers Shine in a Frustrating 0-0 Draw At The Selhurst Park

A night of pure frustration for Crystal Palace at a very loud Selhurst Park. They played against a resolute AEK Larnaca side. Ultimately, the match ended in a goalless stalemate. From our perspective, this felt like a huge missed opportunity for the home side.

Crystal Palace dominated from the first whistle to the last. They had all the ball and most of the best chances, but they just couldn't find a way past the inspired Zlatan Alomerovic. The Larnaca keeper was simply immense, shoving away every danger that was thrown towards him.

What stood out to us was the sheer number of wasted chances. Evann Guessand and Ismaïla Sarr, in particular, will be having nightmares about their misses, as they could have put the Eagles well and truly beyond the safe zone.

This Europa Conference League tie is now wide open for the second leg, and Palace only have themselves to blame.

Have a look at the Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca Player Ratings.

Key Takeaways

• The hosts had 71% possession, the most in the game, and had a total of 13 shots in this game, but failed to find the back of the net.
• Riad Bajić won the most aerial duels in this match (5).
• Angel Garcia and Evann Guessand recorded the most successful dribbles in this fixture (3).

Crystal Palace Player Ratings vs AEK Larnaca

Here are the Crystal Palace Player Ratings from the Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca Player Ratings.

Goalkeeper

Dean Henderson - 6.5: Really had nothing to do. We could have been in goal and the result might have been the same. He touched the ball 21 times, which says it all. A complete spectator for the entire match. His distribution was okay when called upon.

Defenders

Tyrick Mitchell - 6.5: Was a willing runner down the left flank all game. He put in some decent crosses but also had a massive chance saved in the first half. From our perspective he should have buried it, no questions asked.

Maxence Lacroix - 6.5: Looked comfortable on the ball with a 93% pass accuracy, but he gave away some silly fouls in dangerous areas. He felt a bit rash at times, which was worrying. He needs to calm down a bit in the second leg.

Jaydee Canvot - 7.0: A really tidy and progressive defender. He was always looking to pass forward, with 19 passes into the final third. Defensively he was pretty solid too. It was a good showing from him.

Chris Richards - 8.0: Our pick for Palace's best player on the night. He was absolutely everywhere. He made 4 interceptions, 3 tackles, and was dominant in the air. Even got forward and had a headed chance. A truly commanding performance.

Midfielders

Brennan Johnson - 7.5: Looked the most likely to create something for Palace. He was a constant threat, whipping in 12 crosses and creating a big chance that Sarr should have scored. His energy was infectious and a bright spark.

Daichi Kamada - 7.0: A classy operator in midfield. He created three chances and was neat in possession. Sometimes he drifts out of games and we saw a bit of that, but his quality is obvious.

Adam Wharton - 6.0: A difficult one to rate. He saw a lot of the ball but lost it 23 times which is just far too much. His passing was erratic, and he picked up a deserved yellow. Not his best night.

Forwards

Ismaïla Sarr - 5.5: Honestly, a really poor performance. He missed a big chance and just seemed off the pace all night. We expected so much more from him. He looked frustrated and it showed in his play.

Jørgen Strand Larsen - 6.0: He was a ghost. Really struggled to get involved in the game and was easily handled by the Larnaca defenders. No surprise he was taken off early in the second half.

Evann Guessand - 5.0: He had the chances to win the game for Palace and missed them all. Four shots, a big chance missed, and some poor decisions. You could see the frustration building in him and the crowd.

Substitutes

Jean-Philippe Mateta - N/A: Came on for Jørgen Strand Larsen but had little time to make an impact.

Yéremy Pino - N/A: Replaced Brennan Johnson late on and didn't have enough minutes to influence the outcome.

Manager

O. Glasner - 6.0: He set the team up to dominate, and they did. But you have to question why it took so long to make changes when the forwards were clearly having an off night. The plan was fine, the execution wasn't.

AEK Larnaca Player Ratings vs Crystal Palace

Here are the AEK Larnaca Player Ratings from the Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca Player Ratings.

Goalkeeper

Zlatan Alomerovic - 9.0: What a performance. The hero of the hour and the sole reason his team are going home with a draw. He made 4 massive saves and commanded his box brilliantly. We were seriously impressed. An outstanding and highest-rated goalkeeping display.

Defenders

Enric Saborit - 7.5: An old-school, no-nonsense defender. He was immense at the back, winning his duels and making crucial clearances. He absolutely relished the battle against the Palace forwards.

Ángel García - 6.5: The captain had a tough assignment against Brennan Johnson. He got beaten a few times but he never gave up, fighting for every ball. A proper captain's effort for his team.

Hrvoje Milicevic - 7.0: Calm and composed under immense pressure. He read the game so well, making interceptions and blocks. A very disciplined and effective performance throughout.

Godswill Ekpolo - 6.0: A bit of a mixed bag. He worked hard and made some key tackles but his use of the ball was poor. He gave it away cheaply 17 times. Did his defensive duties well enough though.

Jorge Miramón - N/A: Sadly forced off with an injury after just 29 minutes of action.

Midfielders

Gus Ledes - 6.5: He spent the entire game chasing the ball but he did his job. He screened the defence well and tried to launch counter-attacks when he could. A thankless task, but he did it well.

Marcus Rohdén - 6.0: Another player who just ran and ran. He offered very little on the ball, but his work rate was phenomenal. He was subbed off late, probably due to exhaustion.

Djordje Ivanovic - 6.0: He was there to make up the numbers in midfield and disrupt Palace's flow, which he did effectively. A couple of good tackles but very limited going forward.

Pere Pons - 7.0: From our perspective, he was key to their defensive structure. He won his duels, made tackles and was a constant nuisance. A classic spoiler performance in midfield.

Forward

Riad Bajic - 6.0: What a tough job. He was completely isolated up front, battling against two or three defenders. He won a surprising number of headers but had zero service.

Substitutes

AEK Larnaca Substitutes: The substitutes came on and stuck to the game plan. They continued the defensive effort and saw the game out. A professional job from all of them to secure the draw.

Manager

J. Fernandez Rozada Álvarez - 8.0: His game plan was perfect. He knew his team couldn't outplay Palace, so he set them up to be unbreakable. It worked a treat. A tactical masterclass in defensive football.

Man of the Match

Zlatan Alomerovic was Sportsdunia's man of the match from the Crystal Palace vs AEK Larnaca game.

Worst Performer

Evann Guessand was the worst of the lot from this UECL fixture.